This Lentil and Lavender Soup brightens up everything you love about the traditional heartwarming soup. This nourishing dish is quick, made with mostly pantry staples, and is 100% delicious!
I’ve been working on perfecting my lentil soup recipe for years! The perfect lentil soup can’t be bland, underseasoned, or too earthy for me. This bright and vibrant lentil and lavender soup is a long time coming, and this recipe is the one most requested by friends.
Several years ago, while making lentil soup for a friend, I was looking through my cupboard and grabbed my trusty jar of Herbs de Provance. The subtle blend of rosemary, thyme, and lavender sparked inspiration. If some lavender is good, is more lavender better?
Short answer, yes! Dried lavender elevates the earthy taste of the lentil, imparting a subtle floral flavor. Along with a squeeze of lemon at the end of cooking, this soup is bright, floral, and full of surprises.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A few fresh ingredients and pantry staples make this a “set it and forget it” soup!
- French Lentils – French Lentils are a smaller variety of green lentils. They also hold their shape better during the long cooking period, leaving you with a soup full of almost entirely un-mushed lentils, which I love! You can sub in standard green lentils, but they will cook down and lose their shape much quicker.
- Onions – Whatever kind you have on hand is excellent. Even shallots would be amazing!
- Carrots
- Sweet Potatoes
- White Wine– I like to deglaze the pan with wine. This small step adds a great depth of flavor and complexity. The alcohol will completely cook off by the time the soup is done. Almost any variety of dry wine would work perfectly, like a chardonnay or sauvignon blanc, but feel free to omit it if needed.
- Garlic
- Herbs De Provance – This herb blend is one of my absolute favorites. A key component in French and Mediterranean cooking, the delightful blend became popular in the United States in the 1970s with the rise of Julia Child’s cooking show. I like to purchase mine in bulk from the Co-op, but the blend is pretty straightforward to make if you don’t have any on hand!
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 3 tablespoons dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon dried lavender
- Dried Lavender – My favorite ingredient! Dried lavender is so fun to have on hand, and finding new ways to use it is always exciting. For this recipe, adding extra lavender just amps up the herbal and floral notes from the Herbs de Provance.
How to Make Lentil and Lavender Soup
Simple food makes me happy, even more so when the results are this delicious! Plus, once the veggies are prepped, this soup gets thrown on the stove, covered, and cooked with almost no attending required.
Since this comes together quickly, I like to have all my ingredients chopped and ready to throw in.
Dice the onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, and garlic and set aside.
In a large pot with a lid, drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the onions and a sprinkle of salt.
Sautee over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they become translucent.
Add the minced garlic and let sizzle until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour in the wine or 1/4 cup of vegetable broth to deglaze the pan.
Add the lentils, Herbs de Provence, lavender, sweet potatoes, carrots, and broth to the pot. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover.
Cook covered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the lentils are done, you can serve it as is, or if you like it a bit thicker, I like to blend up about half of the soup and return it to the pot. Finish with a bit of salt if needed, plenty of fresh cracked pepper, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
What Goes Well with Lentil and Lavender Soup?
Lentil and Lavender Soup is almost a perfect meal on its own, but here are some sides that would really take it over the top!
- Simple Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Easy Vegan Sourdough Overnight Focaccia
- Easy 4 Ingredient Vegan Baguette
- Simple salad with greens and Tahini Dressing (coming soon!)
Lentil and Lavender Soup
Ingredients
- 2 small onions diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 small sweet potatoes cubed
- 3 small carrots cubed
- 1.5 cups French Lentils
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 teaspoons dried lavender flowers
- 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provance
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Dice the onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, and garlic and set aside.
- In a large pot with a lid, drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the onions and a sprinkle of salt. Sautee over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they become translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and let sizzle until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the wine or 1/4 cup of vegetable broth to deglaze the pan.
- Add the lentils, Herbs de Provence, lavender, sweet potatoes, carrots, broth, and water to the pot. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover.
- Cook covered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the lentils are done, you can serve it as is, or if you like it a bit thicker, I like to blend up about half of the soup and return it to the pot. Finish with a bit of salt if needed, fresh cracked pepper, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
I sure hope you like this as much as I do! If you make it, please let me know! Tag me @vegansfordinner on Instagram.
Thanks a bunch <3
Sonia
